The 14th annual Lawrence Summer Arts Festival brought streams of visitors to the goldmining township.
Most of the exhibitions and demonstrations were hosted in historic buildings, homes and gardens around the town.
"We wanted to showcase the town and surrounding area, so we incorporated the whole village in some way into the event.
"Using the lovely old buildings to have the exhibitions in works very well here," co-ordinator Maureen Cummings said yesterday.
"It's been a very, very successful weekend.
"Both days were hot and sunny and we had large crowds of people in.
"We don't know numbers yet. but it would be the biggest one we've had so far."
The whole town was ablaze in colour yesterday, with open-air demonstrations by painters Nigel Wilson and Amy Hunter, sculptor Suzanne Emslie and encaustic artist Lynn Whitford, who created paintings from pigmented wax.
Ceramics, lacework, floral art, felting, weaving and handmade manuka furniture were also on display.
Mixed media artist Angela Meecham and artisan chair-maker James Stuart opened their studios to the public and works by Otago Community Hospice patients and Otago Corrections Facility inmates were also exhibited.
And there was plenty to do for people who enjoy less genteel arts, with a "Blokes Corner" added this year which hosted a fly-fishing workshop, a vintage machinery exhibition and a Titanic model by the Central Otago Modellers.
Money raised from the festival would be used to establish a scholarship for a young artist, Mrs Cummings said.
"We want to foster art people and all facets of art in Lawrence."
